High-Traffic High-Maintenance Concrete Stains

Freestyle Stains are a new line of concrete stains from Brickform. But they are not acid stains, and their carrier is not an acrylic or polyurethane.

Instead, the stains are water-based, polymer-modified products, specifically engineered to last in high-traffic, high-maintenance areas.

When Freestyle is applied to a stripped and freshly washed concrete slab, it penetrates the surface of the porous concrete. “It saturates like a penetrating sealer would, so the bonding properties are similar to those in a sealer,” says Brickform technical manager Clark Branum. “But it is not a sealer, and there is no chemical reaction.”

The stain is permanent and breathable. It wears as the concrete wears, instead of being worn away like some layered coatings. “It doesn’t require sealant,” Branum says. “In fact, it’ll perform better if there’s no sealant.”

Because the polymer-modified stain requires no sealing, maintenance can be performed without stripping and resealing, he notes. “It’s a really strong maintenance product. You can basically just pressure-wash and reapply.”

The stains can be applied over and over as needed with no buildup. They are particularly kind to indecisive clients or contractors. A Freestyle-stained black slab can be colored red, then recolored black in the same day.

Freestyle Stains come in two variations, both multipart applications sold in kits. Freestyle Solid-Color Kit is a four-component application that includes a dry pigment. The Freestyle Enhancer Kit, a faux finish application, is three parts including a liquid pigment. Just mix according to the instructions and add water, and Freestyle is ready to go.

The Solid-Color stain is opaque, so it will hide oil, grease and rust spots on properly prepared surfaces, while the Enhancer stain is transparent. Fresh concrete must cure for 28 days before Freestyle is applied.

The Enhancer faux finish kit offers many of the advantages of acid stain but is completely acid-free. There’s no messy cleanup or chemical reactions and no need for neutralizers or nonacidic sprayers. “You basically just color the floor and apply wax to it,” Branum says. “That’s it.”

For more information about Freestyle Stains, visit the Brickform Web site or call (800) 483-9628.

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